The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-07-23

Cling limb of the law like me. "
Nonsense! She will think it strange
that two months have passed and you
have not written, when you live only
fifty miles away. You were both
awful 'spoony' at the lake, you know
If 1 were in your place I'd frame some
excuse and begin correspondence. 1t
won't do any harm, and it may make
your fortune. "
Then the conversation drifted back
to the literary project, and when, the
next day, Stuart Claire returned home,
he and his bosom friend had completed
arrangements for writing & book.
They had both been eager, but, thus
far, unsuccessful aspirants for literary
glory; but they hoped by joining their
forces to produce taking work
tale which might perchance prove
the longed-for ideal American novel.
Both were to write upon note-paper,
because, as Stuart had said, there
would be less words upon a page, and
it would require less copying to dove
tail the two portions of the story.
Six weeks went by. John in Wind
ham and Stuart in Beloit, a score Of
miles apart, had both been able to
snatch considerable time from their not
very pressing law-practicos, and devote
it to developing the agreed-upon plot.
Then Stuart, who was to make the first
attempt to arrange the work, wrote his
friend to send on the manuscript. 1t
was done. In few days came back
this letter:
"BELoT, Nov. go, 1884.
"MY DEAR JOHN: received the package OF
manuscript, and have been busy combining 1t
with mine. They match pretty fairly, and
think by using few hundred words here
and there as a harness, we can have strong
team.
81 findone place, however, where you have
slipped cog, so to speak. In the eighteenth
chapter page is missing. Allyn Germaine has
thrown himself on his knees before Genevra,
and you start him of all right with, Darling,
you know have given; and the next sheet
says:
speak darling
"'But Genevra fed like a frighted fawn,' etc.
You seem to have missed the speech entirely.
Please send the omitted leaf tomorrow.
II have written Sloan s. Jeems, publishers,
who say they will print our book very reason
ably.
Hope to get up to see you next month.
"Yours unalterably,
"STUART CLAIRE"
John Rowland remembered the
omitted passage well. He had given
it much thought, for he wished to make
it as impressive as possible. With a
view of perfecting it, he had carried
the leaf in his pocket for week, and
then, carelessly, had neglected to put
it with its fellows. Now, however, he
would make fair, clean copy and
send to his associate. But before doing
so he opened another letter which had
come from the post-office that morning.
1t was from his elder brother, Tom.
"Dear john" it said. "Do you know
anything of that volume of Tasso had
at your place last summer 1t was pre-
sented to me by the late Rev. DR.. Nc
Rae, and was annotated by him in his
own hand. His biographers wish to
use the book in preparing forthcom-
ing history of his life. If you can find
it, please send it to me at once"
With guilty feeling John recollect-
ed that he had left the work with the
charming Mile Payson, who had cast
so strong a spell over him during the
summers outing. "rll write for it, "
he thought, and little thrill of Joy
flooded his heart as he recognized the
value of the opportunity. 1t made
what Stuart had urged, grand tex
cuse" for beginning correspondence.
He had scarcely realized, until now,
how he longed for some word from the
hand of the girl he so much admired,
Turning to his desk, he wrote twc
letters-one to Mile Payson, three
sheets Con one side only, for he was a
Iiterateor now, and the other to Stuart
Claire, composed of the missing page
and an explanatory note. BY brisk
walk he was just able to deposit then
in the postal car of the Chicago ex-
press as it moved from the Windham
station.
Twenty-four hours later two scene.
of interest to us are being simultane
ously acted. One is at Beloit in
scantily-furnished office, before whose
door creaks tin sign, inscribed: "Stu
art Claire, Attorney-at-Law."
The embryo Erskine and prosperity,
Dumas is handling package of manu-
script written partly in John Rowland
feminine chirography and partly in hi
own well-nigh illegible scrawl. At las
he stops, extracts a few leaves, take,
from an envelope single sheet, slip:
it between the others, and reads:
ALLYN Germaine watched the fitting fairy
like form until it had reached the entrance I
the arbor Then he threw himself into a knee
ing posture and broke forth: Darling, yo
know have given in your care piece Of port
able property belonging to another. Do you re
member the small volume OF Tasso gave yoI
one day when we were searching for lilies in tn